


Not Made of Steel

by Katsuko



Category: Death Note
Genre: Alternate Canon, Best Friends, F/M, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-31
Updated: 2011-01-31
Packaged: 2017-10-15 06:38:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/158056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katsuko/pseuds/Katsuko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>L observes, and remembers, and comes to a decision. Sequel to "Falling Apart."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Made of Steel

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written in July 2007, as a sequel to "Falling Apart." I felt there was more to the story to share.

It was a subtle change, a subtle difference, but L was struck one day just how different Light had been since the night they had apprehended Higuchi Kyosuke.

At first, the detective had bought into Light's initial comment, that he'd reacted poorly to seeing the shinigami. Over the course of the next week, though, that excuse didn't seem too viable as he willingly spent time with the creature... almost seeming to seek her out even when L wasn't there asking questions as well. Add in that they occasionally had their conversations out of sight of the cameras and audio-recording equipment, and L was somewhat suspicious.

One month later, and there was something in Light's eyes that had been steadily appearing since _that night_ , something that L had not been able to put a name to. The teen spent time away from the investigation headquarters at last, even going on a few dates with Misa, but always returning to the room put aside for him at the end of the night. Only once had he remained out all night; according to Soichiro, Light had not spent the night at his home either. Yet Light returned the next morning without any explanation other than he had spent the entire night walking, lost in thought on how to proceed with the case.

Another month went by, with that _look_ getting more prominent but more easily hid behind a facade. It was about this time that Misa changed as well, as subtly as Light's change had occurred. She began to spend her free time with them, not demanding that they drop their work, merely wanting to be around "my men," as she'd taken to calling them. She looked _right_ there, somehow, on Light's arm without really clinging to it and reaching out to L as well. There was something in _her_ eyes as well, something different than what was hidden in the young man's eyes but still just as intriguing to L.

In total, L spent five months observing since _that night_ , coming to conclusions and discarding them as necessary before coming to one that seemed to be the correct one:

Guilt and sadness were what lived, hidden, in Yagami Light and Amane Misa's eyes. And the detective could think of only one thing that would have put either of those emotions in plain view.

Unfortunately, though, he had no evidence that his friends had been Kira and the second Kira. _Had been_. They obviously weren't anymore, as no new deaths had occurred since Higuchi's capture. The new questions were, _how did they forget? Why do they recall now?_

 _...what should I do with this new information?_

The answer surprised even L: nothing.

The guilt would eventually kill Light if he would not speak of it. The sadness in Misa seemed to fade at times and then grow stronger, usually in conjecture with the degree of guilt he caught in his other friend's eyes. They both unconsciously turned to L, not with words but with their actions. If he waited long enough, one or both of them would speak. Then, and only then, would he do anything.

Then... he would forgive them both. Until that time, he would wait, and watch, and be their rock, because that was what friends did.


End file.
